When the Senate and House of Representatives voted to create Brand USA in 2010, we in the hotel industry – and broader travel and tourism community – believed it would become a valuable new tool in attracting foreign visitors to the United States. Yet, we could never have imagined how effective Brand USA would be. By creating and implementing a state-of-the-art marketing platform, Brand USA has become a force in the global travel marketplace, driving millions of new tourists to the United States.

Therefore, we were disappointed and alarmed to see that the President’s budget proposed an elimination of Brand USA, and we ask Congress to reject this plan.

Travel and tourism is a critical driver of the U.S. economy, generating $2.3 trillion in economic output and responsible for one in nine American jobs. Brand USA, a public-private partnership, has been a catalyst responsible for driving more than 4.3 million incremental international visitors to the U.S. over the past 4 years and supporting tens of thousands of American jobs – jobs that can only be filled here in the United States.

Brand USA’s activities have also resulted in nearly $30 billion in total economic impact, and contributed nearly $4 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Federal funding is provided not through taxpayer dollars but through fees on tourist visas, and the results show that the program pays for itself many times over.

Brand USA has had long-lasting and overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress, and we hope that this support will continue. We need Brand USA’s strong marketing message to remind visitors that the U.S. is open for business in order to compete with the rest of the world and continue growing our economy and creating much needed jobs.

We look forward to actively engaging with you to keep Brand USA intact and performing its vital function for the U.S. economy.